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The aim of this study was to use in-depth interviews to identify and describe experiences of parental divorce among adult children whose parents divorced 15 years earlier. Ten out of 76 interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Two categories of experiences were identified: disappointment and contentment. Two subcategories of disappointment were distinguished: disappointment toward mother, father, or both, and disappointment with relatives and other surrounding persons. Four subcategories of contentment were distinguished: contentment in the belief that the members of the original family received a good or even better life after the divorce, contentment with how the divorce was handled by the parents, contentment and inner strength as apart of the child's own personality, and contentment with receiving adequate help during and after the parental divorce. KEYWORDS parental divorce, qualitative content analysis, disappointment, contentment

Using a risk and resilience theoretical framework, this study examined the influence of parental divorce during childhood on father-child relationship quality in young adulthood. Relationship quality was measured using nurturant fathering and modified father involvement scales, and self-reports of current amount of face-to-face and verbal father-child contacts. Comparisons on these measures were made between 107 young adults from intact and 96 from divorced family backgrounds. The divorce group was also examined in isolation to explore how divorce-related factors--including structural, early contact, and interparental relationship factors--predict young adults' perceptions of their father--child relationship. Results demonstrate young adults from intact family backgrounds report a comparatively stronger father-child relationship. Among divorce group participants, structural factors (higher father socioeconomic status and joint custody) and early contact (greater percentage of time spent with father postdivorce) were predictors of higher scores on combined nurturant fathering and involvement measures. Greater early contact and stronger interparental relationship factors (low conflict and high contact and cooperativeness) similarly predicted current contact. KEYWORDS. Divorce, father--child relationship, young adults, nurturance, involvement

Within the framework of cognitive theories that define crisis as a challenge to self-development, this study explored the positive long-term outcomes of coping with parental divorce in young adults. Data were collected from sell-reports of 158 Israeli young adults whose parents divorced when they were adolescents. Together with painful feelings, almost half the participants repolled 'more positive than negative outcomes' and less than a quarter thought that the divorce had 'more negative than positive outcomes.' The various positive outcomes were found to form three constructs reflecting maturity and growth: empowerment, empathy, and relationship-savvy. Coping styles used by the participants proved strongly connected to long-term outcomes. Reciprocal support was the main coping style used by the young adults and their significant others, and was connected to positive long-term outcomes. Based oil multiple regression analyses, the study proposes a sequential model that charts a developmental sequence that enhances long-term positive outcomes. These and other results are discussed within the framework of posttraumatic growth perspective. doi:10.1300/J002v42n02_02 KEYWORDS. Parental divorce, positive outcomes, posttraumatic growth, young adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between family of origin rituals and young adults' attachment style when controlling for parents' attachment style. The sample consisted of 222 paired young adults and one parent (representing 208 families) from 36 different states. Family of origin rituals were measured using the Family Ritual Questionnaire (FRQ) and attachment was measured using the Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire. Results indicated a negative relationship between family of origin ritual meaning and young adult attachment anxiety. Results also indicated that family of origin ritual meaning significantly predicted young adult anxiety after controlling for parent attachment. doi: 10.1300/J002v42n01_02 KEYWORDS. Attachment, family, family leisure, rituals, young adults

This study investigated the relations among divorce, parenting quality, parental differential treatment (PDT), perceived unfairness of PDT, direct and differential exposure to interparental conflict, and adjustment in a sample of 368 young adults from intact and divorced families. Participants completed online questionnaires regarding their own and their sibling's family experiences in middle adolescence and their present adjustment. Participants from divorced families differed from those from intact families on their reports of parenting quality, amount and unfairness of PDT, and direct and differential exposure to conflict. Results of regression analyses revealed that lower levels of parental affection, greater amounts of differential maternal affection and control, perceptions of receiving relatively less affection from parents than one's sibling, more perceived unfairness of PDT, and more frequent exposure to conflict predicted poorer adjustment in young adulthood. Limitations of the present study, directions for future research, and implications of the findings for clinical practice are discussed, doi:10.1300/J087v47n03_04 [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: [c] 2007 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.] KEYWORDS. Divorce, parental differential treatment, interparental conflict, parenting quality, young adults, psychological adjustment

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of types of commitment-related messages gained from families of origin. A sample of young adults was asked about the messages they believed they gained from their families of origin, to what degrees those messages affected their relationship experiences, and how these messages are related to their beliefs about romantic relationships. Results indicated that people with divorced or unhappy parents were more likely to report gaining messages such as relationships are not permanent, one must approach relationships with caution, and relationships are beset by lack of trust and fidelity, and less likely to report gaining messages such as marriage is enduring, relationships need love and happiness, and relationships should be partnerships. In addition, participants indicated they felt that those messages had influenced their experiences in relationships. Overall, the results add to the growing evidence of the importance of family of origin upon people's attitudes about and experiences in romantic relationships, doi:10.1300/J087v47n01_02 KEYWORDS. Commitment, divorce, family of origin, relationships, romantic beliefs

Guided by the theoretical concept of uncertainty, the present study was an exploratory investigation of general partner and relational uncertainty within sibling relationships. Undergraduate and graduate student participants responded to a written survey utilizing scales measuring general partner uncertainty, relational uncertainty, extent of topic avoidance, and various relational and demographic items. Results revealed that siblings experience significantly more partner uncertainty than relational uncertainty, although both uncertainty types were experienced at low to moderate levels. Further, differing levels of partner and relational uncertainty were associated with frequency of sibling contact, but not with sibling dyadic gender composition. Finally, both general partner and relational uncertainty were significant predictors of levels of general topic avoidance, although neither uncertainty type predicted romantic/sexual relationship topic avoidance levels. Theoretical implications for uncertainty management are discussed in light of the unique sibling relationship. Keywords: Family Relationships; General Partner Uncertainty; Relational Uncertainty; Sibling Communication; Topic Avoidance; Uncertainty Management

This article examines the effect of exposure to interparental conflict on the mental health of young adults. Based on a diverse sample of 649 students from three New England colleges, the authors investigate the association between nonviolent interparental conflict during childhood, subsequent distress and disorder, and identified factors that mediate the relationship. Results indicate that exposure to interparental conflict significantly increases the odds of experiencing a subsequent episode of major depressive disorder and alcohol abuse or dependency disorder, controlling for demographic factors, parental divorce, and any incident of parent to parent or parent to child physical assault. Exposure to interparental conflict in childhood or adolescence is also associated with current levels of depressive symptoms in young adults. This association is partially mediated by ongoing strain in parent and child relationships, greater strain within offspring's own romantic relationships, and reduced self-esteem. Implications of these findings are discussed. Keywords: interparental conflict; mental health; stress; self-esteem

Relations between identity formation and family characteristics among young adults were examined. The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II and the Ego Process Questionnaire were administered to 57 male and 94 female college students between the ages of 18 and 25. There were 78 Caucasian and 73 African American youth. Significant relations were found between identity exploration and commitment, and family cohesion and adaptability. In addition, moderating effects of race and gender also were found for relations between identity formation and family variables for this sample of young adults. African American participants were found to explore interpersonally more often than Caucasians when family cohesion and family adaptability were low. Family cohesion was positively related to interpersonal and ideological identity commitments for males but only for interpersonal commitment for females. Implications for future research are addressed. Keywords: identity formation; young adults; family; race; adolescence

Reasons for staying or leaving the nest are analyzed to demonstrate the importance of family structure. The most remarkable finding is that youths exposed to biological and single-parent family environments are between five and six times more likely to stay at home than those exposed to stepfamily structures. Also striking is the finding that young adults in both stepparent and single-parent families are more likely to report leaving the nest because of parent-child conflicts or to gain independence, rather than marry or study.

Factors which influence the nature of relationships among young adult siblings were examined. 107 undergraduate students completed a questionnaire about their current relationships with siblings and the Family Environment Scale. Variables which affected these relationships included sex of the respondent, the sex of each of the siblings in the family and whether the family was intact or blended. The Family Environment Scale subscales of Cohesion, Expressiveness, Intellectual-Cultural Orientation and Active-Recreational Orientation were correlated with the relationships of adult siblings. Differences were noted in how these variables affected the relationship with the closest/only siblings versus all the siblings in the family.

Following developmental attachment theory, we predicted a path in which nurturing parents affect young adults' self-concepts and self-esteem, which in turn predicts the image of a nurturing God. To ascertain how images of parents and images of self predict God images, 132 young adults aged 18u22 (M = 19) completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and a six-item measure of God's perceived involvement in their lives (religiosity scale). In a follow-up interview, they rated their parents, God, and selves on scales of closeness, nurturing, power, and punishing/judging. For men, mothers were responsible, more than fathers, for creating a climate for sons' self-esteem through nurturance and discipline, which in turn contributed to seeing God as nurturing, feeling close to God, and being more religious. For women, mothers and fathers created a model of nurturance and power, which contributed to seeing God as nurturing and powerful. Punishing/judging parents directly affected punishing/judging God images in these young adults. Men perceived God to be more punishing/judging than did women, while women perceived God to be more nurturing. Even in adulthood, parents, especially mothers, continue to exert influences on young adults' faith and images of God.

KEVIN MARJORIBANKS [*] MZOBANZI M. MBOYA [**] INTRODUCTION In the development of a bioecological model of human development, Bronfenbrenner (1994: 1645) and Bronfenbrenner and Ceci (1994) proposed that family learning […]

Recent studies of the relationship between young people and their family in Australia show that young people have a propensity to leave home early but to return later and that the increasing number of family breakdowns has disastrous effects on young people. Divorce and separation in the family in life influence youngsters' attitudes, and this necessitates community-based family intervention. The new trend of leaving home early in life is mainly due to economic factors and a yearning for independence.